Tyres Tyres: Michelin Exalto Ps3 (Pilot Sport)

[Henry Yorke 269 3 Cars]

Following on from this thread for Exalto PE2's, I thought I would start one for their replacement, the PS3.

 

I went looking for a couple more PE2s as I had been happy with them and fitting cheap tyres is a false economy if you are looking for performance. However my friend at a main dealer said that they were not being made as his suppliers said they could not get any and the PS3 was the replacement (yes I know you can find some old stock on line and there are lots of second hand Ginetta race series ones for sale).

 

So I thought I would have two of these fitted to my PTS wheels and installed them last night and took some pictures to compare the two.

 

 

You can see they retain the three deep groove design, but appear to have more cuts into them, to I am guessing they would build heat quicker and also have the benefits of better water dispersion. The outer shoulder appears less "directional" than the PE2 and the cuts are wider where the inner shoulder is less detailed and should provide better wear for cambered cars.

 

Again there is a nice deep rim protector on both sides, however the shoulders appear quite rounded so should suit cars with a wider rear stance via a 309 beam or wide / low offset wheels (like the PTS ones)

 

I fitted them to the front and moved the PE2's to the back as the new PS3's would be covered in releasing agent and I would rather have a slippy front for a bit than a slippy rear. It is also easier to scrub in tyres on the front.

 

And once they are fitted (the back is much lower but this has just come off the jack.

 

Once fitted I did take them for a run but it is too early to report on performance as they are not scrubbed in yet. I did notice that they felt hardly any different to the PE2's which were on the front previously.

 

Price wise

 

Interestingly when looking on Mytyres.co.uk, the DEX rating is almost a whole point better for the PS3's than the PE2's, the wet rating is higher and the running sound is slightly quieter, and the price is comparable (though the PS3 was a much more expensive tyre).

 

So is it "The PE2 is dead, Long live the PS3"? Only when someone tracks the two tyres and notices if there are any detrimental effects of the increased grip from the cuts, such as increased tread block overheating and wear (like the Eagle F1's) do we know the full answer to that question, but I am quite confident that these will be pretty much top of the affordable fast road tyre.